Sony Makes Xperia ZL Available for Unlocked Pre-Order in U.S.

Sony’s Xperia line of smartphones have been relatively hard to come by in the U.S., as very few have been offered by the Big Four carriers. But if you’re willing to spend some extra cash, you’ll soon be able to get your hands on the electronics giant’s latest handset, the Xperia ZL.

The 5-inch ZL, which debuted at CES 2013, features a 1920 x 1080 HD display with Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2, which should make for some gorgeous visuals. Inside, the smartphone offers a 1.5-GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage with a microSD card slot capable of supporting cards up to 32GB.

Cameras include a 13-megapixel rear-facing shooter capable of recording 1080p video and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooting. Software includes Google’s Android Jelly Bean OS and Sony’s Battery Stamina Mode, which the company says improves the smartphone’s battery life by shutting down certain apps when the display is off and restarting them when the screen is turned back on.

The Xperia ZL is essentially a watered down version of the Xperia Z. That phone, which we went hands-on with at CES 2013, offers a more premium chassis than the ZL, and is waterproof.

The ZL is available with your choice of two 4G antennas. An LTE version of the handset will set you back $759, while an HSPA+ version will set you back $719. Both versions of the ZL are unlocked and are currently available for pre-order on Sony’s website with an estimated shipping date of April 8.

A newspaper man at heart, Dan Howley wrote for Greater Media Newspapers before joining Laptopmag.com. He also served as a news editor with ALM Media’s Law Technology News, and he holds a B.A. in English from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.